Carbon farming in Western NSW

A native forest in the western region will be protected for 100 years as part of a carbon farming initiative.

The operators of Sunset Ranch, west of Dubbo, will receive an income from the Federal Government for protecting about 9,000 hectares of forest on the property.

Josh Harris from Climate Friendly says the area was due to be cleared for grazing, but the landholder instead decided to conserve the forest.

He'll put fire breaks around it, he'll manage it year to year to make sure that the native forest is protected for at least 100 years.

Josh Harris, Carbon Farming Development Manager, Climate Friendly.

He says the project is on leasehold land.

"So in addition to having the clean energy regulator make sure it met all of their rules, the author had to have the NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, endorse the project and provide her consent."

He says the landholder will be bound to a number of conditions.

"He'll put fire breaks around it, he'll manage it year to year to make sure that the native forest is protected for at least 100 years and there are rules that require him to do that and if he doesn't do it, then the credits he's been issued he'll have to pay back."